Zenkō-ji Temple

right|thumb|The Gardens of Zenkō-ji, 2004 '''''' is a Buddhist temple located in the city of Nagano, Japan. The temple was built in the 7th century. It is one of the few remaining pilgrimage sites in Japan. The modern city of Nagano began as a town built around the temple.

Key facts

Religious building.name: Zenkō-ji
Religious building.native_name: 善光寺
Religious building.image: 160501 Zenkoji Nagano Japan06s3.jpg
Religious building.caption: The Main Hall, 2016
Religious building.map_type: Japan Nagano Prefecture#Japan
Religious building.relief: 1
Religious building.location: Nagano, Nagano Prefecture
Religious building.religious_affiliation: Buddhist
Religious building.rite: Tendai and Jōdo
Religious building.deity: Amida Buddha
Religious building.country: Japan
Religious building.functional_status: functional

Article

13 sections

Contents

History
Inside the compound
Daihongan
Niōmon
Original Main Hall
Daikanjin
Rokujizō
Sanmon
Kyōzō
Zenkō-ji Hon-dō
References
Further reading
External links

Zenkō-ji was founded before Buddhism in Japan split into several different sects. It currently belongs to both the Tendai and Jōdoshū schools of Mahayana Buddhism, and is co-managed by twenty-five priests from the former school, and fourteen from the latter. The temple enshrines images of the Amida Buddha. According to legend, the image, having caused dispute between two clans, was dumped into a canal. It was later rescued by Honda Yoshimitsu. The temple was thus named "Zenkō," according to the Chinese transliteration of Yoshimitsu's name.